The Chevy LUV (Light Utility Vehicle) was a badge-engineered Japanese import built by Isuzu. It was exported from Japan to the U.S. from 1972 to 1980 before Chevrolet came up with a domestic small pickup, the S-10. This 1980 edition is in really good shape and is a 4WD model, which didn’t come along until 1979. Located with a dealer in Fredericksburg, Texas, this nifty, survivor-quality workhorse is available here on eBay. The Buy It Now price is $17,950, though offers will be entertained.
In the 1970s, the U.S. small truck market was dominated by Japanese imports. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Chevrolet and Ford, for example, would produce their own products in-house. Chevy partnered with Isuzu to import the LUV, which was an Isuzu Faster with U.S. identification. They weren’t fancy but could haul smaller loads with a 1.8-liter inline-4 engine and a 4-speed manual transmission. Before there was delivery for-hire, Domino’s used these trucks to deliver pizza in the mid-1970s.
Unlike most of its 1970s cousins, this 1980 LUV looks like a survivor, more or less. It’s a part-time 4-wheel-drive version with 86,000 miles on the odometer. Other than some surface rust in the bed, this pickup is rust-free. The seller refers to the yellow paint as “correct,” which suggests it’s had one repaint over time. The same is said for the engine/tranny, so they may be original, or they could have been gone through. The front disc brakes are power-assisted, a bit unusual for the era.
Aftermarket parts include deep-dish aluminum wheels and all-terrain tires with lots of meat left on them. Also, a column-mounted gauge has been added for reading the temperature, and a stereo has been integrated into the dash. The interior seems to be all-new, redone to the tune of $2,000, and the plaid seats are perfect for the disco period. Air conditioning is another plus you don’t normally find in these pickups. A pat on the back goes to T.J. for the tip!
I had to re-read the price on that again…and then went to the EBay listing. The person who did the write up for this might as well have done a listing for a classic Porsche 356 with buzz words like “vibrant” – “era correct upgrades” – and “cult favorite engineering!” I’m calling this guy or gal to assist with crafting my obituary!
But seriously – a Chevy Luv for almost $18k no matter how good the era correct upgrades are is still just a Chevy Luv! These were nice little “beaters” in the day and this IS a nice example and a great find as well as an excellent write up bit still…it’s a Chevy Luv!